Debate: replacing a full drivetrain vs piecemeal parts on a 10-year-old bike

I brought a 2013 Trek Domane into the shop last month. The cassette was shot and the chain was stretched past 0.75. The owner wanted to just swap the chain and cassette for $80, but I argued the chainrings had shark fin wear on the big ring from 3 years of neglect. Now I'm stuck between letting him save cash now or pushing for a full crankset replacement at $150. What do you guys do when customers fight you on partial fixes? Is piecemeal worth it on older bikes or just kicking the can down the road?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles9193d ago

You nailed it. I had a guy bring in an old Specialized Allez that was shifting like garbage and he insisted on just the cheap fix. New chain and cassette felt fine for about three weeks and then it started skipping under load again. Came back mad thinking I did bad work. Had to show him the teeth on the chainrings with a flashlight before he believed me. Now I always tell people you can save a few bucks today or pay triple when the worn rings eat another cassette in a few months.

harper_wright2d ago

Yep. That's the part people forget. They think a chain and cassette is the whole drivetrain. The chainrings are the last thing to wear but they absolutely will. Once they're hooked or sharktoothed it's game over for any new parts. I tell customers it's like putting new tires on a bent rim. The old rings will just chew up the new cassette in no time flat. Save yourself the headache and do it all at once or you're just kicking the can down the road.